Author Archives: Alison Ashton

Chipotle’s Halloween Costume Idea!

Posted on by — 1 Comment ↓

Richard and I are going to a Halloween party, so we need some inspiration for costumes. Advocates of healthy food say processed fare is pretty darn horrifying!

That’s why Chipotle, the fast-food chain that serves Mexican fare made with organic and humanely raised ingredients, has teamed up with Food Revolution creator Chef Jamie Oliver for the Boorito 2010 Halloween promotion. (Anyone who caught Oliver’s ABC series knows he has no qualms about wearing goofy food-themed costumes!)

On Halloween evening, just show up at a Chipotle restaurant dressed as your “favorite” scary processed food and you can buy a burrito, bowl, salad or tacos for just 2 bucks. Up to $1 million in proceeds from the promotion will go to Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, which is dedicated to changing the way America eats.

Crispy Duck Breasts with Maple-Bourbon Sauce

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

We’ve adapted this tasty maple-bourbon sauce from Hank Shaw’s award-winning blog Hunter Angler Gardener Cook. This sauce also works nicely with wild turkey, boar or pheasant. The duck breasts will render quite a bit of flavorful fat, which many chefs consider to be the platinum standard of cooking fats. Don’t throw it away! Instead, strain the fat through a fine-mesh sieve and use it in place of other fats (butter, oil) in other recipes. It will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.

4 boneless duck breast halves, skin on
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons bourbon
1/4 cup chicken stock
1-1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce
1 tablespoon heavy cream
Sage sprigs, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place a foil-lined baking sheet in oven.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Trim any excess fat from edges of duck breast halves; set aside. Score the duck skin and fat in a diamond pattern. Season duck with salt and pepper. Place duck skin-side-down in pan, and cook 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add reserved trimmings of duck fat to the pan, and continue to cook 15 minutes until the skin crisps and the fat renders out.

Remove the duck to a work surface; dust the skin side of duck with sugar. Place duck skin-side-down on preheated baking sheet. Bake 7 minutes or until meat is medium-rare. Remove from oven, turn duck skin-side-up, and cover with foil. Let stand 10 minutes.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the rendered duck fat (strain and reserve remaining fat for another use).

While duck stands, heat the skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, and cook 5 minutes or until dark golden-brown. Stir often and keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.

Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the bourbon, then return it over medium-high heat. It will thicken and sputter. Stir well, and start adding the stock, whisking constantly. When the sauce boils, whisk in the maple syrup and Sririacha. Let this simmer over medium heat for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and let the sauce stop bubbling. Whisk in the cream. Adjust seasoning as needed.

Slice each duck breast half across the grain. Garnish each plate evenly with the sauce. Garnish with sage.

Serves 4

Iron Chef: Cast Iron Is the Original Nonstick Surface

Posted on by — 3 Comments ↓

Devotees of cast-iron cookware are fond of calling it “the original” nonstick pan. But it wasn’t until I lived in Alabama that I came to appreciate the hardworking charms of a humble cast-iron skillet. Southern home cooks are particularly attached to their cast iron, which is often passed down from their mamas and which years of cooking have endowed with a gorgeous dark seasoned patina that’s an amazing stick-resistant surface.

cast-iron-cookwareCooks prize cast iron because it heats slowly and evenly and retains heat better than just about any other material. It’s great for high-heat cooking, to sear a steak or scallops, for instance. A deep skillet is ideal for frying chicken.

If you happen to have a cast-iron skillet languishing in the back of your cupboard, now’s the time to rescue it form obscurity and re-season it. If your mom didn’t pass along a family skillet, get one now. It’s a small investment (about $20) for an heirloom-quality piece of cookware. You can find cast-iron pots and pans at any housewares store and many hardware stores, or online. Most new cast-iron pans come preseasoned and ready to cook. But even those will need occasional re-seasoning when you notice  food starts sticking to the pan.

There are nearly as many ways to season cast-iron cookware as there are cooks, and everyone swears theirs  is the One True Method. Some cooks swear by animal fat (i.e., lard) for seasoning; others say you should never use animal fat. Some sources say you must bake the oiled pot in a high oven; others advocate a low oven. This is the method an Alabama friend shared with me:

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Generously coat a clean skillet with fat (I like canola oil, which has a neutral flavor). Rub the pan with a paper towel to blot up any excess oil.
  • Bake the pan the oven for about an hour.
  • Remove the pan from the oven. Let it stand until it’s cool enough to handle. Reapply oil and bake again. You can repeat the oiling/baking process several times, if you like.

If you use, clean and store your cast-iron properly, you’ll rarely need to re-season it:

  • Always preheat the pan and add a little fat to it before adding any food.
  • While the pan is still warm, but cool enough to handle, clean it by rinsing it with hot water (no soap necessary) and (if needed) scrubbing it with a stiff brush. If any food does cling to the surface, sprinkle it with coarse salt, and scrub it off. Some people say you should never use dish soap, though the folks at Lodge say it’s OK. In any case, never put a cast-iron pan in the dishwasher. Dry the pan immediately and thoroughly to prevent rust.
  • Apply a thin layer of oil to the pan’s interior, and store it uncovered. If you need to store a lid with it, or stack other pans on top of it, place a clean folded paper towel in the pan to allow a little air to circulate.

If you’ve got an old cast-iron pan that needs restoring, here’s an easy method from Lodge (yes, it’s not exactly the same as the method above, but remember, there’s room for variation):

And don’t forget to use your pan often. The more you cook with it, the better seasoned it will be and the less often you’ll need to re-season it!

Skillet Corn Bread with Tomatoes and Sage

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

When I think of cast-iron skillets, corn bread immediately comes to mind. In the Deep South, many home cooks have a skillet handed down from their mamas that they use just for corn bread. This version is inspired by James Beard Award-nominated Birmingham, Ala., chef Frank Stitt, author of Frank Stitt’s Southern Table (Artisan). He says corn bread should be a savory side dish and dismisses sweetened versions as a “Yankee invention.” Our rendition includes No Work Slow Roasted Tomatoes,* fresh corn and sage for extra flavor and texture. Try it with Kurt’s Iowa City Chili.

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:134]

Why It’s a Good Idea to Smoke Your Own Fish

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

Uh, oh, the FDA is recalling Haifa Smoked Fish, due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Consumers most likely to be affected are those who bought the company’s smoked fish in greater New York, New Jersey and Illinios. Oy!

If you love smoked fish (and who doesn’t), fire up the grill and smoke it yourself. It’s easy, and we tell you how in our recipes for Hot-Smoked Sablefish and Hot-Smoked Arctic Char with Mixed Greens and Golden Beets. Even better, the fish will be sustainably sourced.

Where there’s smoke, there’s flavor!

Win a Free Copy of “The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook”!

Posted on by — 3 Comments ↓

As you know, we’re big fans of Kim O’Donnel’s groovy new title, The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook: Vegetarian Recipes Carnivores Will Devour (Lifelong Books).

This week, we’re giving away a free copy of The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook!

It’s filled with 52 hearty, bold-flavored menus–enough of a year’s worth of Meatless Monday feasts!–that will appeal to vegetarians and carnivores alike. You’ll find mouthwatering fare like Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and Whipped Feta and Thai-Style Red Curry Tempeh with a make-your-own curry.

But, friends, you have to play to win this meatless must-read.

So here’s the deal. Only NOURISH Evolution members are eligible to win, so now’s the time to join if you haven’t already! Then, head on over to the Thursday Giveaway group in our community area and leave a comment to be entered to win (important: be sure you’re signed in to NOURISH Evolution so we can find you).

Lia will announce the winner in next Friday’s Friday Digest!

Happy cooking, peeps!

Our Autumn in Italy Menu

Posted on by — 2 Comments ↓

Making your menu plans for the upcoming weekend? We’ve pulled together a great Italian-flavored repast that will take the chill off a nippy fall evening:

NOURISH Evolution’s Autumn in Italy Menu

To start:

Whip up a batch of our uber-easy Go-To Vinaigrette and toss with fresh arugula. Add a little shaving of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and the salad is ready! (Double the vinaigrette so you’ll have extra to dress salads next week.)

Main event:

I made Ginny’s fabulous Short Rib and Cremini Ragu last Sunday, and it’s already a fave in our household. Super flavor and falling-off-the-bone tender meat make this a fall classic. Serve it over Lia’s Creamy Corn Polenta…mmmm!

On the side:

Spicy Sauteed Rainbow Chard with Golden Raisins is a speedy, colorful side that will round out the plate.

For dessert:

This is a substantial meal, so you don’t want anything too heavy for dessert. Jackie’s Chocolate Orange Pistachio Biscotti are a just-right sweet finish.

To pour:

An Italian red is the way to go here. Try a Chianti, Barbera or Sangiovese, which will be delicious in the short ribs and with them.

Fair Trade Supports the People Who Produce Our Food

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

I’ve been hearing the phrase, “You vote with your fork three times a day,” a lot lately. And it’s true. Whenever you choose organic fare, you’re casting a consumer vote for sustainable, organic agriculture over the petrochemical agroindustrial empire. When you buy grass-fed, certified-humane beef or pasture-raised local eggs, you’re supporting livestock that’s raised on a natural diet and under humane conditions.

That “vote” also applies to the people who produce our food, and that’s where the idea of fair trade comes in. Fair Trade USA has designated October Fair Trade Month. Fair Trade USA is a nonprofit organization and the U.S. member of Fair Trade Labelling Organizations International (FLO), which offers third-party fair-trade certification for goods produced in developing nations. The idea is to support people through trade, not aid.

Fair Trade USA licenses its Fair Trade Certified (FTC) logo for use by American companies on products that have FTC ingredients. One example is Ben & Jerry’s, which uses FTC ingredients (vanilla, cocoa, sugar and coffee) in some of its flavors; they’ve committed to becoming entirely FTC by 2013.

So what does that mean when I buy my canister of FTC, shade-grown, French roast coffee? I know:

  • The farmers have received a fair price for their goods.
  • They have safe working conditions.
  • They trade directly with importers to avoid paying extra fees to middlemen
  • Crops are cultivated sustainably. Although FLO doesn’t mandate organic practices, they encourage sustainable agriculture that’s chemical- and GMO-free. If farmers do go organic, they fetch premium prices for their certified-organic goods.
  • Farmers and workers decide democratically how to invest their profits, which typically go to community and business development.

Along with cocoa, sugar and bananas, coffee is the most common fair-trade certified product. That’s a good thing, since coffee is the No. 2 import into the U.S., behind petrol (sorry, there’s no fair-grade gas). But there are many other fair-trade items to look for: quinoa from Bolivia, olive oil from Palestine, wine from South America, plus spices, tea, whole fruits and vegetables, rice and nuts.

These items turn up in a number of familiar FTC products, including gourmet chocolate, of course. You can find FTC coffee at Starbucks and Wal-Mart, or buy fair-trade spirits made with  FTC quinoa, Goji berries and coffee.

You might pay a small premium for fair-trade food. For instance, a 12-ounce container of fair-trade coffee might cost 50 cents to $1 more than its conventional cousin. But I’ve also found gourmet fair-trade chocolate that costs less than its competitors.

While Fair Trade USA’s FTC logo is the most ubiquitous, there are other fair-trade labels out there. Whole Foods has its own Whole Trade program and label, for which they partner with Fair Trade USA, as well as the Swiss-based Fair for Life IMO Social Responsibility & Fair Trade and the Rainforest Alliance, which focuses on improving the lives of the world’s rain-forest residents through sustainable agriculture, tourism, forestry and other programs.

And other third-party-certified fair trade programs are being developed. One is the Certified Fair Labor Practices & Community Benefits program. It offers fee-based certification for small family farmers to large-scale producers and applies throughout the supply chain. Applicants will also have to be certified organic.

“It can be done anywhere in the world, including the U.S.,” says Neil Blomquist, of the consulting firm Sustainable Solutions. There certainly are North American agricultural workers who need fair-labor support as much as farm workers in developing nations.

Ultimately, Blomquist notes, all the organizations that support fair trade share the same goal: to make fair food widely available and affordable so it’s a smart everyday choice for all consumers.

Fair-Trade Chocolate Earthquake Cookies

Posted on by — 12 Comments ↓

I made a version of these addictive chocolate cookies in culinary school. Rolling the dough in two kinds of sugar creates a crackled appearance when the cookies spread as they bake. Since chocolate is the main ingredient, they’re an ideal way to showcase an artisanal product like Fair Trade-Certified chocolate.

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:4]

Need more Valentine’s Day inspiration? Check out these recipes from our friends at Food Bloggers Los Angeles:

FBLA Chocolate Party 2014 Recipe and Resource Links

Desserts

Savory Dishes

Champagne/Sparkling Wine Recommendations

  • Jaume Serra Cristalino Brut Cava ($7 “but tastes like $20+”) — Andrew Wilder of Eating Rules
  • NV Presto Prosecco Brut ($10-$12), a “price performer” — Alison Ashton of NOURISH Evolution
  • Brut Roederer Estate Mixed Vintage ($20) — Jennifer Daskevich of A Little Gourmet Everyday
  • Colbert Eco Brut (sugar-free organic sparkling wine; $25) — Caren Magill of The Fit Habit
  • Barefoot Bubbly Brut Cuvée ($10.99). “When serving mimosas there is no need to buy expensive bubbly, but naturally you don’t want to serve your guests headache-inducing sparkling wines or champagne either. The Brut Cuvée is Barefoot’s most traditional bubbly and tastes of green apple and jasmine with hints of kiwi and peach flavors which bubble up for a crisp finish and, in my opinion, make a delightful Mimosa,” said Priscilla Willis of She’s Cookin’.

 

Is Your Kitchen Health-Department Clean?

Posted on by — No Comments ↓
Would your kitchen pass a health inspection? Probably not, but a refrigerator thermometer ensures your food is chilled properly.

When the swanky Getty Center opened in Los Angeles in 1997, I remember the ‘ “C” health grade on the center’s several restaurants was as remarkable as the stunning Richard Meier architecture and Robert Irwin gardens.

Californians have always expected restaurants to prominently display heath department letter ratings. And we expect them to be “A” grades, whether it’s a celebrity chef’s namesake eatery or a humble taqueria.

Now the New York City health department has adopted letter grades for restaurants, and humorist Henry Alford wanted to see if his home kitchen would pass muster. So he invited a health department inspector in and documented the results in “Would Your Kitchen Pass Inspection?” for The New York Times.

In a word, no, his kitchen didn’t pass inspection, despite scrubbing the place top to bottom. And yours probably wouldn’t either.

That’s because restaurant health codes are designed to safeguard the public’s health from mishandled food. Restaurants are required to do things like have a separate sink for washing your hands (Alford was docked points for using his kitchen sink for this),  not allowing animals to roam in the kitchen (his cat decided to make an appearance during the inspector’s visit) and not keeping his dish towel in a bucket of sanitizer.

But even the forthcoming Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 are likely to address food safety to some extent in an effort to ensure people don’t poison themselves once they bring food home from the store. At least 50 pages of the Dietary Guidelines’ Advisory Committee’s recommendations were devoted to food safety issues, including educating consumers about how to store, handle and cook food.

Most of it’s common sense. Among the basics:

  • Clean hands and surfaces frequently. The health inspector advised Alford to wash his hands in the bathroom sink–a step, frankly, few busy home cooks are likely to follow.
  • Separate to avoid cross-contamination. That means not using the same knife and cutting board that you just used to cut up a raw chicken to chop veggies.
  • Cook foods to the proper temperature. Alford’s inspector docked him a few points for not having a working meat thermometer.
  • Chill by refrigerating or freezing foods promptly. Alford lost the lion’s share of his points for keeping his fridge and freezer too warm. To make sure your fridge and freezer are at the right temperatures (40 F or colder for the refrigerator/0 F or lower for the freezer), invest in a thermometer. You can find a fridge thermometer at most supermarkets.

For details on these and other food-safety tips, check out the Partnership for Food Safety Education’s Fight Bac! website.